Throughout the entirety of 2016, Punk has been celebrating its fortieth anniversary in the UK with extensive cultural events paying homage to the transformative movement. Paired to coincide with the timely nature of this important tribute, The Salon welcomes acclaimed documentary photographer, Dennis Morris as he signs copies of his book The Bollocks: A Photo Essay of the Sex Pistols, with prints from the book proudly on display.About The Bollocks, words by Dennis Morris

The 70s was a dismal period in England: high unemployment, unions out of control, the economy on a massive decline, England had lost its way.

Punk came.

We wanted to change everything, we wanted a piece of the pie, we wanted our own heroes. The Sex Pistols filled this role, four faces of the New British Youth, brash and ready. Ready to take no prisoners, ready to kick down the door of Establishment, ready to fulfill the dream. From the first time I met them, Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones and Paul Cook, I knew they meant it! 77 was the year, one long, short, chaotic, mad, amazing roller coaster year.The hysteria, the hatred, the backlash from the media and the Establishment came because the band, these four individuals, had the nerve to challenge the very things British society has built as standard.They mocked the Royal Family (“God Save the Queen”), they mocked the Establishment order of fun (“Holidays in the Sun”). The youths identified, the youths wanted to destroy, to destroy and rebuild.The Sex Pistols sparked the largest musical rock revolution in history and started the punk movement..Their extreme music sense, fashion style and their punk spirit still today influence society and artists from a broad range of fields including music, fashion, film, art …

About Dennis Morris

Dennis Morris started his career at an early age. He was 11 years old when one of his photographs was printed on the front page of the Daily Mirror. Accustomed to raising money for films and camera parts by taking photos of christenings and birthday parties, Dennis was suddenly on to something; his hobby and all-consuming passion could be done for a living.

It was whilst bunking off school to wait for Bob Marley to arrive for sound check at the Speak Easy Club on Margaret Street, that Dennis's music photography career really began. Marley, quite taken with the young teenager who was waiting for him, invited Dennis to come along and take pictures on the remainder of the tour. Running home to Dalston, Dennis packed his bag and jumped on the bus. His photographs of Marley and The Wailers became famous the world over, appearing on the cover of Time Out and Melody Maker before Dennis had even turned 17.

It was Dennis's photos of Marley that caught the eye of the young Johnny Rotten. Rotten, a massive reggae fan,had long admired Dennis's work and requested that he take the first official shots of the Sex Pistols upon signing to Virgin Records. Still in his teens, Dennis was the same age as the Pistols and they soon learned to trust him completely, allowing him unrestricted access to their strange and chaotic existence. For a year, Dennis trailed the band, taking hundreds of undisputed classic shots of the band. The only photographer to put the Sex Pistols fully at ease in front of the lens, Dennis's work with the band established, not only their public image, but also Dennis's position as one of the most exciting and striking music photographers in the country.